Less bad is not good

By Álvaro J. Díaz-Mella

Raquel, my mother-in-law, is 82 years old. When we talk about waiting lists, I think of her. Not in terms of a statistical average, but in terms of what it actually means to wait for care at that age. The wait might begin at a local health center and then continue at a hospital—for a consultation, a medical test, and, if necessary, a procedure.

Galician ports: what might have been but never was
Galicia, poorly connected

Behind every pending appointment is a person who needs to know what is happening to them and what can be done. The healthcare system is the public service we turn to when our bodies stop functioning as expected. In such moments, an administrative explanation is no substitute for a timely answer. Someone worried about their health needs information and a specific date—not a horizon that keeps receding every time they try to reach it.

Data released by the regional health authority show that, by the end of the first half of 2026, the average wait time for surgery in Galicia’s structural waiting list stood at 89.5 days, compared to 69.3 days in June 2025. The number of patients on that list rose from 49,223 to 57,680—an increase of 17.2 percent. This deterioration demands a response. The Xunta (regional government) attributes this to medical strikes held in opposition to the reform of the *Estatuto Marco* (the framework statute for healthcare personnel). While the impact of these strikes must be taken into account, surgical wait times had already increased by the end of 2025 and remained higher than pre-pandemic levels—a period that also saw strikes. The key is to determine how much of this decline is due to the labor conflict, and what other factors are preventing a return to better performance.

Governing also entails anticipating difficulties, limiting their impact, and regaining lost ground. The health authority has announced a reorganization of schedules, the rescheduling of appointments, and additional resources to address the backlog of deferred care. The primary care reform plan, which runs through 2030, should be evaluated by the same standard: the actual level of care it succeeds in delivering. Simply announcing a position does not mean a healthcare professional is actually available to see patients in the clinic.

The Galician government might respond that, within the public healthcare system, wait times in Galicia are shorter than in other Spanish regions. Even if that is true for certain indicators, being "less bad" does not mean being "good." Making comparisons helps us understand the situation, but it does not render a delay acceptable. The benchmark should be the patient’s needs and the clinically reasonable timeframe for addressing them. Furthermore, an average does not tell the whole story. It does not reveal how long each individual patient has been waiting, nor what that delay signifies in their specific case. For this reason, we need to examine the differences between regions and medical specialties, the number of people on waiting lists, and how many have yet to be assigned a date. Publishing a general figure is a starting point; revealing the underlying details allows us to judge whether the measures being taken are actually working.

While public healthcare is free at the point of use, it is sustained by all of us through our taxes. This contribution gives us the right to demand that resources be managed effectively. The fact that there is no direct out-of-pocket payment does not lower the standards expected regarding wait times, organizational efficiency, or the quality of service. Defending the public system also means questioning management that fails to achieve the necessary results.

It is also worth remembering who has had the time to take action. Since Gerardo Fernández Albor assumed the presidency of the Xunta in January 1982, the AP and the PP have held that office for approximately 86 percent of the time. While this long tenure does not, by itself, explain every problem, it certainly precludes any claim of being a "newcomer" when faced with the system’s shortcomings. The national Ministry has its own responsibilities; strikes impact operations, while demographics and the availability of healthcare professionals influence the delivery of care. All of these factors must be part of the analysis. However, no difficulty can ever serve as a permanent excuse. Every administration is obligated to act within the scope of its authority and to be held accountable for what it achieves.

That is why the questions for the Regional Minister of Health are straightforward. What reduction in wait times does he commit to achieving, and within what timeframe? How will we know if the announced additional resources are truly available? How are those who still have no appointment date kept informed? The answers should make it possible to verify progress without having to decipher a complex report or rely solely on a statement.

We must also look after those who provide care. Doctors, nurses, technicians, and administrative staff need an organizational structure that enables them to do their jobs well. Criticism of the health service (Sergas) should not be mistaken for an indiscriminate reproach of its professionals; calling for the system to improve is, in fact, a call for their work to be supported and for resources to reach where they are needed most.

Raquel is not asking to jump the queue. She is asking for a wait time that is appropriate to her needs—for someone to provide an answer, and for an appointment to arrive before her concerns escalate into a more serious problem. This is the very least one should expect from an administration that manages both our health and our public funds. The failures of others should never be the benchmark for our own success. Galicia deserves a healthcare system that acknowledges its challenges without resigning itself to them—a system that demonstrates improvement through the actual impact on patients' lives. Good management is not something you proclaim; it is something you demonstrate.

Álvaro J. Díaz-Mella
Vigo, October 2026

Sources:

• Europa Press — Waiting lists as of June 2026 and explanation from the Health Department.
• elDiario.es — Assessment of waiting lists at the end of 2025.
• Xunta de Galicia — Primary Care Reform Plan 2026–2030.
• ABC — Rescheduling of appointments and reinforcement of services announced by the Sergas (Galician Health Service).

---

Photo: Xunta de Galicia. Translation: Elentir.